Source: Here’s Who Claimed Kyle Lohse

It took some time, but a source finally got back to me with which team it was that claimed Kyle Lohse earlier this month when the Milwaukee Brewers exposed him to revocable waivers. It is a necessary move, in order to move players in August, that they pass through waivers first. If a team claims the player, as happened with Lohse, the player’s current team can negotiate with the claimant exclusively. Then there exists three options:

Agree on a trade with the claiming team.

Allow the claiming team the rights to the player on a straight waiver claim. Claimant assumes full contract and all compensation.

Pull the player back off of waivers, retain his services for the rest of the season.

The Brewers took the third path with Kyle Lohse, and quite rapidly in fact. Doug Melvin confirmed to the media on August 9th a Ken Rosenthal report that Lohse was claimed but added that he didn’t see a potential trade as a fit so he didn’t exactly negotiate much (if at all).

So just who was that team? Rosenthal never said.

Well, a trusted source who tends to have accurate knowledge of such things tells me that it was the Texas Rangers who claimed Lohse. Furthermore, despite there being four teams after Texas in waiver priority at the time (Oakland, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Boston), I’m told that Texas was the only team to submit a claim on Lohse.

Just a little tidbit that I promised I’d try to track down because I was also curious. Bottom line though: Lohse won’t be moved during the 2013 season. If nothing else, though, the Brewers have identified at least one team with expressed interest in Lohse should Milwaukee decide to make a move either this off-season or prior to the trading deadline in 2014.